Dhangar activists disrupt traffic over demand for reservation

Pune: Activists of Dhangar community on Thursday resorted to ‘chakka jam’ (halt traffic) agitation at various places in the district, including Pune city, in support of their demand for reservation under ST category.

Road traffic was disrupted in Baramati and Indapur tehsils as the protesters took to streets, rural police control room said, adding that the agitation was peaceful.

In the city, Dhangar activists, led by their leader Mahadeo Jankar, staged a protest at Chandani Chowk junction on Pune-Mumbai Highway.

Jankar, who had given a tough fight to NCP leader Supriya Sule in the last Lok Sabha election in Baramati constituency, said the approach of Congress-NCP coalition government in the state towards the community's demand for reservation under scheduled tribes was ‘unclear leading to doubts’ about its stand on the issue.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had on Wednesday announced a Cabinet decision to refer the demand to the Centre for inclusion of the community in the proposed third category list of scheduled castes and tribes, which drew flak from the Dhangar leaders.